little miss sweetie: Tiramisu Cupcakes

Tiramisu. I've always had a soft spot for this Italian dessert, with its divine combination of mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers and coffee. Presentation is beautiful...that is, until it is portioned off...then things start getting messy and perhaps not so visually appealing. Well, here's a whimsical twist on the old classic. Cupcakes!

The cake portion of the recipe is a little labour-intensive...but it is worth the trouble. It produces a dense, sturdy cake that absorbs the coffee syrup wonderfully. Even after a generous dose of coffee syrup, the cake holds up without being too soggy. Each bite has an array of decadent flavors and textures. All the components of classic tiramisu in a dainty little package!

Tiramisu Cupcakes
from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes 18

1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolk, room temperature
1 cup sugar
Coffee-Marsala syrup (recipe below)
Mascarpone frosting (recipe bellow)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

For the coffee-marsala syrup:
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed espresso (or very strong coffee)
1 ounce marsala
1/4 cup sugar

Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

For the mascarpone frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Set aside covered in refrigerator.

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat.

Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together eggs, yolks and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.

With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are ligh golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupckaes.